US Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec retires, Michael Dickerson named acting head of mission in Bucharest

The US Embassy in Bucharest announced the retirement of Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec on Tuesday, May 20. In her place, Michael Dickerson, currently Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy, has assumed the role of Chargé d'affaires ad interim.

"We express our gratitude to the US Ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, who is retiring after a distinguished career in the United States diplomatic service. Ambassador Kavalec carried out her mission with dedication, strengthening the partnership between the United States and Romania. We thank her for her leadership and commitment to our shared democratic values," the US Embassy to Bucharest said.

Kathleen Kavalec has served as the US representative in Bucharest since her appointment in 2023.

Her departure is a planned retirement, not a political decision, according to James Trainor, Vice Chair of the US Federal Election Commission, as reported by News.ro. Speaking in Bucharest earlier this month, Trainor clarified that Kavalec was neither recalled nor removed. "She reached retirement age and chose to retire. It has nothing to do with politics," he said.

A career diplomat with extensive experience in the region, Michael Dickerson is expected to maintain and advance the strong ties between Romania and the United States.

Dickerson joined the US Department of State in 2002 and has held a number of significant assignments, including Deputy Chief of Mission in Baku, Azerbaijan, and postings in Tbilisi, Vilnius, Budapest, Moscow, and twice in Azerbaijan. He played a key role in facilitating the first visit of a US president to the Caucasus and led the Technology Transfer Working Group in the State Department's Office of Conventional Arms Threat Reduction in Washington, D.C.

He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in national security from the US Naval War College.

Before his diplomatic career, Dickerson served in the Peace Corps in Guinea from 1997 to 1999.

He is currently in Romania with his wife and two daughters.